Erg Chebbi's dunes rise 150 metres in shades that shift from apricot to ember as the day dies, and Merzouga is the doorway. Skip the standard one-night sunset package and go deeper: two-day 4x4 and trekking circuits reach quieter camps beyond the crowds, with sandboarding thrown in and nomad families selling tea en route. October to April keeps the daytime heat civil. Climb a dune crest before dawn — cold, brutal on the calves, completely worth it.
Featured in Ten desert adventures worth the sand in your boots · Adventure